Characteristics of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

by admin on April 22, 2013

Type 1 diabetes symptom is not the easiest to recognize especially if you are not familiar with this disease. There are several obvious characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus that you should know. Since type 1 diabetes mellitus happens when someone is young, it is your job as a parent to recognize the characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus in your child.

Characteristics of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

The easiest way for you to be able to recognize the characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus is to observe changes in your child’s daily habit and condition. Type 1 diabetes mellitus happens early, and it usually develops very rapidly in a matter of weeks from when the first symptom appears. This article will guide you through all characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

characteristic of type 1 diabetes mellitus

There are several key signs and symptoms that you should pay attention to, among those are:

The first and most obvious symptom is an increased thirst that is unexplainable. The reason is because of the increased blood sugar level in your child’s body causes the cells and tissues to experience fluid depletion. If your child suddenly feels thirsty often when there is no obvious physical activity, this is a good sign that you should pay attention to.

The second most common characteristic of type 1 diabetes mellitus is frequent urination. Although less noticeable than increased thirst, frequent urination is closely related to the first previous symptom. Your child will rarely complain to you since this is not deemed as a problem to most people, so it is the parent’s job to observe any change in urination habit in a child.

which type of diabetes is insulin dependent

Another common yet less obvious symptom is extreme hunger. This is one of the characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus symptom that is very easy to miss. The reason is because most parents attribute this to simply an improvement in appetite, or part of growing up. So it is very important for you to observe if there is a sudden change in eating habit where your child feels hungry very often compared to previous eating habits. The reason for this symptom is because the lack of insulin in your child’s body causes the glucose level to increase, and in effect preventing the muscles and organs to get the energy they require.

Unexplained weight loss is probably one of the easiest signs to notice in your situation. The key factor to this is if you weigh your child regularly and monitor their development, as parents should. If you observe any unexplained weight loss in your child, especially if they eat and drink more due to the other symptoms we discussed before, then there is a good chance that your child might have type 1 diabetes.

insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

If you notice fatigue or feeling tired in your child’s behavior, this is another sign which is easily missed for being sick. If you cannot find a real reason why your child should feel tired, try to observe other symptoms. Your child may have the characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Your child may show signs of irritability or unusual behavior. If you see these signs and your child is normally a well behaved child, it is time to pay closer attention. The unstable glucose level can wreak havoc in a child’s mood and manner.

Last but not least, a child may experience blurred vision if they have a high blood sugar level in their system.

Early detection is the key to managing type 1 diabetes mellitus. By knowing the characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus, you are on a good start to providing a good treatment for your child.